This film is quite the watch. Let's start by talking about how its been perceived. From other reviews and TikTok it's becoming clear that people either REALLY LIKE or HATE Beau Is Afraid . There doesn't seem to be an in between.
There's a lot to unpack about this film, and I know I'm not going to give this one justice without a second and maybe third rewatch, but here goes nothing.
The film consistently points the camera at the audience, and by the end of the film it's clear to me at least, that this film is a harsh look in the mirror of being an "looker" or "watcher."
What I mean by that is, specifically relating to a sequence in Beau Is Afraid, when he arrives at the renaissance-like theater in the middle of the woods he's immediately given a costume and told at any time he could become part of the play. And he does, quite seamlessly. At the end of this trippy, meta experience it becomes clear to Beau, as he's in tears, that this isn't his story, and in fact there's no possible way that he could have three kids and so on, and so on. He became us, the audience watching a movie relating and caring so deeply about the character that is not us. Maybe its something we wish we could be. Maybe even for the 2-3 hours just briefly in the dark space, we wish we could be this character on screen and escape our hectic lives.
The camera is positioned as an audience viewer multiple times in the film. The theater scene mentioned above and also at the very ending of the film in the coliseum where Beau is judged. I think again this is a reflection of the viewer and the judgement that come with watching and experiencing films. So much of movie-going is the conversation after. Did you like it? What would you give it out of 10? Eh it wasn't as good as [insert movie here].
With this being all said, I've had a hard time giving this a number out of five. I think it does things excellently. It's an experience absolutely. Film lovers I would imagine would love this movie because of the vast amount of symbolism, excellent editing, and wild storytelling. The casual audience member may find themselves not following the film and getting lost in the sauce if you will. This movie has plenty of sauce.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. But I can totally understand the argument against the film. This is the fork in the road. This is what makes films so great. They are different. It doesn't need to be a competition. There's something out there for everyone. There's even something out there for Beau. Even Beau.
Fun Score: 3/5
QC Score: 4.5/5